Extension-table lock.



PATENTED NOV. 28, 1905.

- J. L. ARNOLD.

EXTENSION TABLE LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED NAILS, 190E).

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EXTENSION-TABLE LOCK- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 1905.

Application filed March 9, 1905. $eria1No. 249,223.

T0 011% whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, JOHN L. ARNOLD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Extension-Table object is attained by theconstruction, mechanism, and arrangement illustrated in the accompanylngdrawings, in wh1ch- Figure 1 1s a perspective view of the table,

showing the ends extended, Fig. 2, a detached perspective view of onepedestal part, showing the lock applied thereto; Fig. 3, an under planview of the center leg and pedestal parts slightly separated,illustrating the operation of the lock; Fig. 4:, a section of the lowerend of the pedestal as closed, showing the pedestallegs and the centerleg; and Fig. 5, an enlarged section of the lower end of the pedestal asclosed, omitting the pedestal-legs and the center leg.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The table which is used to illustrate the lock comprises the top halves1 and 1, with the end slides2 attached thereto, the center leg 3, withthe cross-bar 4 and the neutral slides 2 attached thereto, theintermediate slides 2 having the ordinary tongue 5 and groove 6connections with the end and neutral slides, and the pedestal parts 7and 7 with the pedestallegs 8 attached thereto, the same being attachedto the top halves on the under side of the end slides by means of theordinary bridging or plates, as 9. The locking parts comprise thefingers 10, the links 11, the crosshead 12, the shank 13, the handle 14,and the toothed segment 15, all mounted on one pedestal part, and theposts 16 on the other pedestal part.

In the type of table shown the slide connections are usually somewhatloose, and there is generally some spring in the connection be-. tweenthe pedestal parts and the top halves, so that when the divided partsare brought together the top halves will come together first, and thelower ends of the divided pedestal tend to spread apart because of thedifference in the vertical length of the center leg and thepedestal-legs. For this reason and also to avoid any special shaping orconstruction of the center leg I prefer to locate the lock proper on thelower end of the pedestal, and, as shown, the fingers 10 are pivot allymounted on the bottom of the pedestal part 7 preferably on the shanks ofthe largeheaded screws 17, the same being vertically located one on eachside of the median line of the table, so that the fingers will at alltimes pass freely on each side of the caster 18 of the center leg. Oneend 19 of each finger is curved laterally outward, and the curved partis projected beyond the inner face of the pedestal part, so that it willextend for some distance under the bottom of the pedestal part 7 a whenthe table parts are brought together, and to the other end of eachfinger is pivotally attached the end of one of the links 11. The otherends of the links are pivotally attached to the ends of the cross-head12, which in turn is mounted on the lower end of the shank 13. The shank13 extends upward through the apertures 20 and 20 in the pedestal partto a point 21 just above the pedestal-plate, from which point the handle14: extends horizontally outward and is adapted to be engaged in thenotches 22 of the toothed segment 15, which is mounted on thepedestal-plate. For simplicity in construction and convenience inassembling the parts the shank and handle are preferably made of asingle square rod of iron bent to a right angle at 21, and the shank isthen entered from above through the apertures in the pedestal part andinto and through the square aperture 23 in the middle of the cross-head.It is also preferable to provide the washer 2 L around the shank on theupper side of the pedestal-plate to receive the wear of the rotation ofthe shank and the handle.

The posts 16 are vertically located sidewise apart, one on each side ofthe median line of the table, and are preferably made of largehe adedscrews so set that the fingers of the lock can operate against theshanks of the screws between the bottom of the pedestal part and theheads of the screws, and the posts are so spaced apart that when thecurvedout ends of the fingers are rotated inward, as shown by full linesin Fig. 3, they will pass freely inside of the posts, but that when theyare rotated outward, as shown by broken lines in the same figure, theywill operate against IIO the inner sides of the posts, and by reason oftheir outwardly curved or inclined shape will act as an expanding-wedgeto draw the two pedestal parts together.

The operation of the fingers is accomplished by the rotation of thehandle, the shank, and the cross-head by means of the connectinglinks.The handle is held in agiven position by engagement in the notches bythe toothed segment, and when it is desired to rotate it the handle islifted or sprung up to free it from the teeth. When the lower ends ofthe pedestal parts are thus drawn and locked together, the center leg israised from the floor by the action of the abutting top halves of thetable as a fulcrum and the pedestal-legs resting on the floor as abearing, in which relation of the parts the upper ends of the pedestalparts and the top halves are held close together by the weight of thetable. It is evident that the relative location and curvature of thefingers can be changed and the operative connections transposed, so thatthe fingers will operate against the outer sides of the posts instead ofthe inner sides thereof, as illustrated and described, without affectingthe nature of the invention.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isI 1. A look for a divided-pedestal extensiontable comprising two postsspaced apart on one pedestal part, a rotatable shank having a cross-headon the other pedestal part, two fingers pivoted on the same part onopposite sides of the shank with links connecting the adjacent ends ofthe fingers and cross-head,

the freeends of the fingers being curved laterally outward and beingadapted to operate against the inner sides of the posts when thepedestal parts are approximately closed, and means for stopping theshank against rotation.

2. A lock for a divided-pedestal extensiontable comprising two verticalposts spaced sidewise apart on one pedestal part, a rotatable shank onthe other pedestal part, two fingers pivoted on the same part withoperative connections between the shank and the fingers, the ends of thefingers being curved laterally outward and being adapted to operate inopposite directions against the inner sides of the posts when thepedestal parts are approximately closed, and means for stopping theshank against rotation.

3. A look for a divided-pedestal extensiontable comprising two verticalposts spaced sidewise apart on one pedestal part, a rotatable shank onthe other pedestal part, and two fingers pivoted on the same part withoperative connections between the shank and the fingers, the ends of thefingers being curved laterally and being adapted to operate in oppositedirections against the sides of the two posts when the pedestal partsare approxi- JOHN L. ARNOLD.

Witnesses:

Josnrrr FREASE, HARRY FREAsE.

